Shreyas Iyer To Become The 'Sarpanch' Of India's White-Ball Team? PBKS Skipper Enters Captaincy Race

Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer has reportedly entered the race to become India's next white-ball captain. The development came after Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final in 11 years, but could not culminate their campaign in winning the maiden title of the tournament as they lost to first-time champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.

Despite Punjab Kings losing the IPL 2025 title clash to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Shreyas Iyer's captaincy received massive praise and acclaim from cricket experts and fans alike. Acquired for a whopping 26.75 crore, the 30-year-old transformed PBKS into one of the serious title contenders, finishing the league stage as the table toppers with 9 wins, 4 losses, and one no result while accumulating 19 points.

Shreyas Iyer's unique captaincy, right from fielding placements, bowling changes according to the situation, to motivating his players under pressure, did not go unnoticed as cricket experts lauded his tactical brilliance, calm attitude under pressure, and ability to bring out of the underperforming squad.

'Sarpanch' of India's white-ball team?

As per the report by The Indian Express, a source close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that Shreyas Iyer has officially entered the captaincy race for the white-ball team, adding that he cannot be kept out of the Test and ODI squads.

“Right now he just plays ODIs, but after this IPL we can't keep him out of T20 internationals and even Tests. Plus, he has also now officially joined the white-ball captaincy race," the BCCI source told TIE.

🚨 SHREYAS IYER FOR INDIAN LEADERSHIP 🚨- Shreyas Iyer now officially Joined India's white ball Captaincy race. [Express Sports] twitter/KERuaglcMo

- Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 8, 2025

Shreyas Iyer has been snubbed from the India Test squad for the upcoming Test series against England, despite having a good season with Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, where he amassed 480 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 68.57 in seven innings. Speaking at the press conference for the squad announcement, BCCI chief selector stated that Iyer does not have a place in the Test team now, hinting that he might be picked for the future Test series.

Meanwhile, India has three different captains for three formats of the game. Shubman Gill was appointed as Test captain and will begin his first assignment as a red-ball skipper in the Test series against England, while Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma lead in T20Is and ODIs.

Rohit Sharma's future in ODIs?

With Shreyas Iyer entering the race for white-ball captaincy, questions have surfaced around Rohit Sharma's future in the ODI setup. Rohit retired from T20Is after the T20 World Cup last year and then called it quits from his Test career after he was removed from the captaincy before the England Test tour.

Rohit Sharma continues to remain the ODI captain and has expressed his desire to captain Team India in the 2027 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. However, the future of Rohit Sharma as ODI captain remains uncertain, reportedly looking to groom young players like Shreyas Iyer to take over the reins ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

Apart from Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill is in the race to become India's next white-ball captain as he is currently the vice-captain. After turning Punjab Kings around in the IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer is likely to be included in the leadership group for India's white-ball setup, with strong consideration for the ODI captaincy role as the team transitions into a new era post-Rohit Sharma.

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